Feverish (8 page)

She bit her lip moaning and babbling incoherently every time they alternated inside of her. When his cock tightened inside of her, he knew it was almost time. The bond was forming.

He could feel their souls connecting. His heart raced and love filled him. He felt Eden’s unconditional love for him and happiness he no longer had to keep it buried inside and Dara’s new love for him. He felt her need to please them and be everything she could be for them both. She worried she wouldn’t be enough. What she didn’t know was that she already was. He wouldn’t change anything about her. To him she was perfect.

“Can you feel that?”

“Yes,” they both whispered. Back and forth he and Eden made love to their mate. It wasn’t fucking. The bond between grew more with each thrust and when Eden cried out his release both him and Dara followed. They were all breathing heavily and covered in sweat. Their bodies convulsed with aftershocks and none of them even tried to move.

Dix wasn’t sure how long they stayed locked together as one, but finally when he could breathe normal he pulled out of Dara doing the best he could to be gentle. She tensed and he knew she was pain. He’d heal her after they cleaned up.

No one said anything, and the silence was nice.

11

Eden had no words. He knew he would feel the bond with Dara, but he felt even more connected to Dix now too. Their emotions swirled in his head, much like he had felt Dara when the demon had her. He was actually able to hear her. He hoped he’d eventually be able to use telepathy.

Each emotion felt like they were his own. It clicked and he knew what he was; an empath. He wondered if he would feel others’ feeling besides his mates’. Thinking about it, he already did, but it wasn’t strong feelings. He’d always be in tune with other people’s emotions, and he’d been able to balance them out.

The most amazing part of his new found gift was the fact he could see the threads of their souls connected. All three of them strung together. His was green, Dix’s was orange, and Dara’s was lavender. They all met in the middle, and when Dix moved the threads stretched. “It’s amazing can you see that?”

“See what?” Dara asked shifting to see what he was looking at.

“Our souls are connected, I can see the threads.”

“You can?” Dix asked and Eden saw him searching too. “I guess you’re the only one. I don’t see anything, but I do feel the bond.”

“Me too,” Dara replied. “What do they look like?”

Eden explained them and smiled when both of his mates looked at him in awe. Seemed he had a power even if it wasn’t an active one. He wasn’t sure what to do with it though or if it would lead to anything other than seeing their connection. It was a start, and finally he felt like there was a chance he had something more to offer their trio.

Even Dara had a power, and that was something they had already decided to talk with his family about. He’d never heard of an anchor having her own power, and using one of her mates to tap into it. It was strange, and she wanted to find out why she’d shot white fire from her fingers. It was an awesome power, and he could admit he was a bit envious. Dix was a healer, and the strongest one Eden had ever met. He was beginning to worry that he wasn’t as useful as the other two.

He should have known better though. Fate wouldn’t have brought the three of them together without giving each of them something that could enhance or balance one of the others, or both of them for that matter.

Dara squirmed on his lap and he wrapped an arm around her and slid his other hand across the bed covering Dix’s fingers with his own. Dix turned his head toward him and winked. Every time he touched them both a zing of magic shot through his body. It was almost as if he was the anchor, instead of Dara, but that was crazy right?

12

Dara rolled off of Eden and lay in the middle of the mattress. Her body ached in places that had never been touched before, but the pain was well worth it. She was mated to her two tigers. Nothing had ever felt better, just as they promised her, and it was crazy but she could feel them both. It was as though they had become an extension of her, truly becoming one. They shared one soul now. Never before had she ever felt such love, and even though she didn’t know every little thing about them, she knew enough to know that they were the ones for her. She had the rest of her life to get to know them individually the way she wanted.

She scooted closer to Eden, allowing space for her other mate and patted the empty side for Dix. He smiled at her and dropped his towel before sauntering over to the bed. She licked her lips and watched the water drip from his hair and slide down his bare chest. He chuckled and crawled on the bed lying next to her. With a mate on either side of her she began to relax. All except the worry about the little power show she had in the cave. She wasn’t sure what to think about shooting white fire from the tips of her fingers. She didn’t know where it came from; hell she didn’t know if it would ever happen again. Maybe it was a one-time fluke.

“So I’m safe now?” she asked starting to close her eyes. She was exhausted, but there was still the left over fear of the Shadox demon. The things he said, and the images he had planted in her mind still lingered terrifying her. In all honesty she feared going to sleep. She wouldn’t admit it, but the demon had come close to fulfilling what he intended to do. She wasn’t sure when she would feel truly safe again, but having them both surrounding her was a good start.

“You’re safe forever baby,” Dix said and kissed her cheek brushing her hair behind her ear.

“We won’t let anything happen to you again sweetheart,” Eden said and kissed her other cheek.

She turned her head and brushed her lips across his. “I love you Eden,” she whispered against his lips, and she did. She felt it deep inside her and it was bursting to the surface spilling over in an overwhelming amount of emotion. Tears filled her eyes, but she was happy.

He pulled back with wide eyes. “I love you too sweetheart.”—he cupped her jaw and wiped the drop from her cheek before kissing her again— “so much.”

Then she faced Dix who seemed to be waiting expectantly for his turn. There was something in his eyes, insecurity that she wouldn’t accept them both fully. She wanted to laugh, but instead she smiled at him and kissed him just as she had Eden. “I love you Dix.”

He expelled a heavy breath and pulled her back kissing her, but he it wasn’t as brief as she expected and she gasped. He pulled back and grinned. “I love you too baby,” he said and kissed her lightly. “Forever.”

At first she worried that balancing between them would be rough, but so far they didn’t show any jealously towards each other. They were respectful of each other, which surprised her considering how possessive they were.

A girl couldn’t get any luckier than having two fierce tigers by her side to protect for the rest of her life. She relaxed knowing that she would never be short of love ever again. She wouldn’t live the way she had grown up. It was part of the reason why she was leery of allowing herself to get attached. She learned at a young age, that people lie, and they left you. It was inevitable. She was bounced around from home to home for years. Never once did anyone stick by her. She was on her own for most of her life and at 16 she grew tired of the games adults played. She ran away and ended up on the streets.

She met Marcella six months later. The woman was a saint and was the first to help her. She was the one who gave her a job and an apartment helping her get on her feet. She was the first person Dara ever allowed close to her, until now. She knew with Eden and Dix that her future was bright. She looked forward to carrying their children. Not that they had discussed it. Officially she could only marry one of them, and officially only one of them could be listed as the father on the baby’s birth certificate. It was a bit soon to be thinking about it, but she wanted to be prepared.

Dara realized she was ready to be a mom. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the mating or because she was emotional. Either way she knew what she wanted. She ran the tips of her fingers down Dix’s chest and looked up at him beneath her lashes.

“Yes, baby?” His eyes glowed with adoration.

“How soon can we talk about starting a family?” What the hell, she figured she’d bite the bullet.

He gulped but his smiled widened and his teeth glistened. “As soon as you want. There’s a chance you already are though.” He stopped her fingers from moving lower. “It’s something we probably should have mentioned. The fever causes the female to go into a heat, much like an animal, or at least it does for shifters. We aren’t sure if that’s how it works for human women who are mates to our kind though.

“So I could be pregnant?”

He nodded. “I hope you’re okay with that, and I’m sorry we didn’t mention it beforehand.”

She beamed looking down at her abdomen and ran her hand across it hoping that she was already carrying one of their children. “It’s okay, but if I am, which one of you will be the father?” She looked at Eden this time hoping he would join the conversation. He was looking at her in shock, as if he couldn’t believe she was already talking about children with them.

He ran his fingers through his hair. “The child will be both of ours.”

“But what about legally?”

He shrugged. “We know humans are strange when it comes to their laws. I’ll be your husband and the father by law since I’m the eldest. Dix will be the witness for the wedding, and the godfather for our children, but in the end we are all one family. We will both be just as much the father as the other. Are you okay with our children having two dads?”

Dara nodded happy they had already worked out all that stuff. She didn’t want there to be any conflict. “Okay as long as you guys are okay with it all. We’d have to get a DNA test if you needed to know.”

Eden chuckled. “Sweetheart, you’re amazing, but you have to realize Dix and I love each other very much, and we got to grow up with each other. He is a part of me just as much as you are. There is no two people more important to me, at least until we have cubs. We’ve had years to accept our fates in sharing one woman, and sharing each other as well. We aren't’ ashamed of our way of life.”

“Good because I’m not either. I don’t care what people think. I was just curious about how it would work.”

“Don’t stress baby, you don’t have to worry about all that. We want you to be happy,” Dix said and then rolled on top of her. He leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Now no more serious talk, I want you,” he said.

Dara didn’t resist, and she didn’t think she’d ever be able to. Her heart sped up and love filled her. Her bond with them seemed to be growing more with each passing second. She could literally feel everything, including how her touch felt to them.

Shutting off her mind Dara fell into their growing love, ready to start their journey together.

Check Out a Sneak Peek to

Risking it All#1:

Sweet Freedom

Coming August 2015

1

I shook my head as tears filled my eyes. How could he ask me to do it? My own father was more concerned about a stupid alliance than how I felt. He knew I didn’t want to mate for anything other than love, but here he was standing before me with a bear name Jericho. He was appealing to the eyes, as were all of the other males my father had tried to push on me, but there was something missing. My heart didn’t race, there were no flutters in my stomach, and worst of all my bear sat on her haunches bored. The poor beast actually yawned at the new man that stood before me. I couldn’t mate with someone who didn’t make my bear want to rip out of my skin from the feverish heat that the mating call brought.

My father smiled reassuringly at the other man and the Alpha of the clan and stepped close enough to speak to me without letting the others hear.

“Calisto, you have turned down every male, and he is by far the best. He’s strong and the next Alpha for their clan. You’d be the queen as you should be. Can’t you feel his power?”

It was almost as if my dad was in awe of the man waiting to get my approval, though it really didn’t matter. I had no say in the matter, but if my father thought I’d stand by and let him force me to mate, he had another thing coming. I jutted out my bottom lip and tensed my body. He wasn’t surprised by my defiance, and before I had a chance to say ‘no’ he yanked me roughly by the arm and threw me to the ground. I yelped in surprise and rolled to the balls of my feet. Betrayal, that’s what I felt, and I found it wasn’t a good feeling at all, especially when it was my own father doing the betraying.

“I didn’t want to have to do this, but you give me no choice.” His eyes narrowed and I felt the magical push as he shoved his Alpha power into me.

I screamed in agony, but I was his daughter after all so I fought like hell. I was strong but not to his level, and I found fighting only made it worse, but I wouldn’t let that stop me. I growled and cried for him to stop and finally my bear came out to protect me, and she was pissed off.

I roared in pain and humiliation. Tears slid down my cheeks, but as my bear, we didn’t care. All that mattered was getting away from the threat, and this time it was the person I was closest too, my father, the Alpha who raised me when my mother died during child birth. I was the only child, and even though he wished for a son, he loved me. It wasn’t until the others in our clan started putting pressure on him to see me mated off, collared, and controlled that our relationship changed. I needed to have a strong bear to rule the clan with me. The others wouldn’t settle for me as their queen alone. Most of them were old school and believed that a female bear needed a strong male to guide her, and my father wasn’t young anymore. If I wasn’t mated the others would rebel, and a younger male in the clan would challenge him for the throne.